a PHENOMENAL blog post

                The first Disney Park opened its doors in 1955 and since then parks have been opened in various countries around the globe as we all know. The Disney phenomenon is the name which I am assigning to the process by which Disney has successfully ingrained itself into the lives of many young and old individuals alike. In many ways we feel as if we have a relationship with the characters, the parks, the movies because we grew up as Disney evolved itself, not to mention that the backstories for many of the characters are so well developed that we form bonds and relationships with them because we can identify with the problems and hardships they endure.

                Naturally, the phenomenon has left fans with a craving to identify even more closely to the parks and other aspects of Disney in general. This has led to some unofficial events which fans have gathered in union to do and in many cases these events have gained traction over the years. I personally remember a few years ago when I went to the park and was confused to see so many people walking around the park wearing red t-shirts. Thankfully, that day I had chosen to wear a blue Florida Gators shirt at the last minute because I had spilled something on my red shirt. The day we went to Magic Kingdom happened to be a Gay Pride Day, in which those with a homosexual orientation or in some cases those who supported the cause wore red with pride. (Note: I have nothing against homosexuals; I just feel that it would have slightly awkward to have been unintentionally wearing red and not knowing what for.) At the bottom of the post there will be a link leading to other “unofficial Disney events” if you’re interested.

                Furthermore, there are even some events that Disney itself orchestrates for particular niche groups because these groups are more likely to pay return visits to Disney and view the parks and company in an even more positive light due to the phenomenon. (As if Disney can possibly be viewed more favorably, let’s be real… everyone loves Disney.) Here goes another personal story, as I’m sure you all LOVE hearing about me it will definitely make this blog post more interesting. I successfully completed my first marathon in January 2011 and it was simply amazing. For all 26.2 miles I enjoyed the spectacular views of all 4 Disney parks in Orlando and even got to see some characters along the way. (By characters I mean Disney characters and a few oddballs as well, haha.) Anyway, runDisney is responsible for many large races within the United States and is the 3^rd largest racing host, behind the “Rock-n-Roll Series” and the organization that puts on the “New York City Marathon”. Even more than that, Disney has races targeting specific groups, and other non-running related events such as Grad Nite, D23 fan club events, Night of Joy, in addition to a Mickey Halloween and Christmas party.

                All in all, Disney does a fantastic job of marketing towards a mass audience as well particular niche groups. I ran my second marathon in December 2011 and it was a great experience but nowhere near the same as my first time at Disney. I loved my experience and it is yet another example of the Disney phenomenon. In fact the only reason I ran the Jacksonville race aside from convenience was due to the significant increase in pricing for entrants to the Disney marathon and the loss of a free ticket as an incentive to run the race. Well that’s all folks, see you next time!

Unofficial events:
http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/87100

Official events:

http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/special-events/